Rail-fastening device.



J. H. MESSNER. RAIL FASTENING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT.16, 1913.

1,092,072., Patented Mar. 31, 1914.

x ii

EINITED STATES PATENT @FFIQE.

JOHN H. MESSNE-B, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-FASTENING- DEVICE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. Museum, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fastening Devices, of which the following is a specification.

The subject-matter of the present invention is directed to new and useful improvements in rail fastening devices, and as its principal object contemplates the provision of a tie plate which is adapted to receive the rail base and is equipped with retaining bolts and stop lugs which operate to prevent the separating and creeping of the rail.

A yet further object is to construct the retaining bolt with such regard to proportion and arrangement of its parts that a maximum strain resisting ability will be afforded with a minimum amount of material.

A still further object is to provide an extension shoulder on the head of the retaining bolt so formed that it will conform to the inclined upper face of the rail base and will snugly engage thereagainst.

The above and additional objects are accomplished by such means as are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specification and then more particularly pointed out in the claims which are appended hereto and form a part of this specification.

With reference to the drawings, wherein I have illustrated the preferred embodiment of my invention as it is reduced to practice, and throughout the several views of which similar reference numerals desig nate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a rail secured in position on a tie by means of the fastening device of this invention; Fig. 2 is a transverse section; Fig. 3 is a detail view of one of the retaining bolts in disassembled relation.

Proceeding now to the description of the drawings, the numerals 1 and 2 designate respectively and as entireties a railway rail and tie. The tie 2 is, in the preferred embodiment, formed of metal, and consists of a base plate 3 and a casing 4 which is mounted thereon and is substantially U-shaped in cross section. It will be apparent upon reference to Fig. 1 that the members 8 and 4,

when in assembled position, form a hollow Specification of Letters Patent. Patgnted 1W 31 191$ App1ication filed September 1c, 1913.

Serial No. 790,143.

metallic body, thus imparting strength and lightness to the tie.

It has been found in practice that the provision of a hollow metallic tie is of particular value in many instances for, if so desired, crushed rock, or any other substance of the like nature, may be packed into the tie as a ballast, thus producing the desired weight and anchorage without requiring the utilization of a large amount of metal. Relative to the ballast which may be placed in the tie, it is, of course, obvious that cement may be applied to the crushed rock, or concrete may be substituted for the rock and poured into the body of the tie, forming a solid filler.

The side walls 5 and 6 of the member a are equipped at their lower longitudinal edges with outwardly directed flanges 7 and 8 which are provided with a plurality of spaced apertures adapted to register with similar apertures formed adjacent the longitudinal edges of the base 3, so that rivets or similar fastening devices, indicated at 9, may be inserted for the obvious purpose of holding the members 3 and 4 in rigid assembled relation.

Relative to the side walls 5 and 6, it will be noted that these members diverge from the connecting portion 10. The purpose of this formation of the side walls 5 and 6 is to lend to the casing 4: the maximum strain resisting capacity and, at the same time, to facilitate the shipping of the ties. In this connection, it will be obvious that the ties when shipped may be disassembled by removing the rivets 9 and a number of the casings at nested one within the other, so that they will occupy, when in transit, a minimum compass.

The extreme longitudinal edges of the tie base 3 are turned downwardly and at a slight outward angle to produce the flanges 11 and 12. These members 11 and 12 are designed to bite into the ground and hold the tie against shifting.

In practice the rail base, indicated at 13. is seated on a tie plate, which is designated as an entirety by the numeral 14:. and is preferably formed of cast iron, although any other similarly durable and cheap metal may be employed. The member 14 consists essentially in an elongated metallic plate of such thickness that it will. be capable of resisting the jars and strains to which it is subjected by reason of the pounding of passbase 13 -when this latter member is seated and 16 are formed on the upper face of the.

plate 14and extend in parallel relation to each other, being spaced apart such a distance as will permit them to snugly engage against the longitudinal edges of the rail in-lassembled position on the portion of the member 14 comprehended between the members 15 and 16. The plate 14 is, as previously stated, mounted on the connecting portion 10 of the casing 4, and is held in fixed position thereon by means of rivets or:

other similar fastening devices indicated at 17. The retaining bolts which are employed in holding the rail base13 in fixed position on the tie plate 14 are preferably four in number and are individually indicated by the numerals 18, 19, 20 and 21.

Inasmuch as these four retaining bolts are substantially identical, they may be describedcollectively, the member 18 being chosen in this instance. This retaining bolt 18 includes, as best illustrated in Fig. 3, a shank portion 22, the lower end of which is threaded as at 23, and is of less diameterthan the upper end, indicated at 24. At the juncture of the enlarged and reduced portions23 and: 24 of the shank 22, there has been formed an. annular groove 25 in which maybe disposed a fiber, leather, or other yielda'ble type of washer 26 for the purpose of: absorbing the sudden strains or shocks to which the rail base is subjected,

On the upper terminal of-theportion 24 is. formed a head, designated as an entirety The upper face of this a head member is convex, as indicated at 28' by thenumeral 27.

.for a-purpose-to behereinaftermore fully set forth, It is now to be observed that the enlargedportion24 of the shank 22 is substantially rectangular in cross section, and that the head member 27 is likewise rectangular in cross section, having its longitudinal edges; parallel to the opposite faces of themember-24 which arein assembled position. transversely arranged with. respect to ,the longitudinal axis, of the rail base, as will be apparent upon reference. to Fig. 1

particularly v A pair, of arcuate lugs 29 and 30 are formed. integrally with the 7 member 27. When theretaining bolt 18- is, applied to the-tie-plate by the insertion of-its shank through, a receiving opening ,formedin the plate, the lug 30 engages the tie plate adjacent the outer longitudinal edge thereof, while the lug 29 snugly engages the upwardly andinwardly inclined face 31 of the rail base, the lug 29 being formed for this purpose, as will be readily observed upon reference to Fig. 8, with an upwardly and inwardly inclined lower face, indicated at 32.

Relative to the preferred formation of the lug 29, it is to be observed that a channel 33 extends transversely of the lower face of this member and at the portion thereof adjacent the member 24 for the reception of the upper edge of the centering rib or lug 16 which is preferably of greater height than the adjacent longitudinal edge of the rail base 13. It is desired to emphasize the fact that by reason of the arcuate formation of the lugs 29 and 30 a maximum strain withstanding power is imparted to the retaining bolt with the employment of a minimum amount of stock. In applying the re taining bolts to the tie plate, they are disposed at the four corner portions thereof which, as previously set forth, extend beyond the longitudinal edges'of the connecting portion 10 of the tie casing 4. The re ceiving openings formed in the tie plate for the reception of the bolt shanks are square, and are of such dimensions as to snuglyreceive the squared portions 24 of the bolts. It will, therefore, be noted that the bolts will be held against rotation by reason of j' their squared portions 24 and thesquare receiving openings in the tie plate, as well as by the engagement of the inner faces of the squared portions 24 with the adjacent edges of the centering ribs.

In conclusion, it is desirable to call at tention to the fact that the present invention provides a simple but efficient device for securely holding the base of a railway rail in assembled position on the tie, and that by reason of the disposition of the retaining bolts, the rails may be readily secured or removed with a minimum expenditure of time and labor.

The accompanying claims will be directed particularly to-the novel features of the retaining bolts and tie plate, inasmuch as the specific structure of the tie base will be made the subject-matter of a separate application.

In reduction to practice, I have found that the form of my invention, illustrated in the drawings and referred to. in the above description as the preferred embodiment, is the most efiicien-tand practical; yetrealizing that the conditions, concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize the fact that variousminor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement-of parts 1 may be resorted to, when required, without sacrificing any of the advantages of my invention, as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is .1. The combination with a tie and a rail, of a tie plate mountable on the tie and adapted to receive the rail base, transverse centering ribs formed integrally with the plate and adapted to hold the rail base against lateral movement, and a pair of detachable retaining bolts adapted to hold the rail base against lateral and vertical movement, each of said retaining bolts including a shank insertible through the tie plate, means for holding the shanks against withdrawal therefrom, a head formed on each shank, a pair of laterally directed arcuate extensions formed integrally with each head, one of said extensions being engageable against the rail base, and the other of said extensions being engageable against the tie plate.

2. The combination with a tie and a rail, of a tie plate mountable on the tie and adapted to receive the rail base, transverse centering ribs formed on the tie plate for holding the rail base against lateral movement, and retaining bolts for holding the rail base against lateral movement, each of said retaining bolts consisting of a screwthreaded shank insertible through the tie plate, an integral head, and a pair of arcuate extensions formed integrally with and directed from the head, each of said arcuate extensions having their lower faces beveled, the first of said extensions being en gageable against the inclined upper face of the rail base, and the other of said extensions being engageable against the tie plate.

3. The combination with a tie and a rail, of a tie plate mountable on the tie and having transverse centering ribs engageable against the edges of the rail base, and detachable retaining bolts for holding the rail base on the tie plate, each of said retaining bolts including a shank insertible through the tie plate and a head embracing the adjacent rib and having a pair of extensions bearing against the rail base and the tie plate.

4. The combination with a tie and rail, of a removable tie plate having transverse centering ribs engageable against the longitudinal edges of the rail base, and a plurality of retaining bolts for holding the rail base on the tie plate, each of said retaining bolts including a shank insertible through the tie plate, a head, and a pair of extensions, one of which bears against the upper face of a rail base and the other of which bears against the upper face of the tie plate, the extension which bears against the rail base being provided in its lower face with a recess adapted to receive the upper edge of the adjacent centering rib.

5. The combination with a tie and a rail, of a removable tie plate having transverse centering ribs, and a plurality of retaining bolts for holding the rail base on the tie plate, each of said retaining bolts including a shank portion insertible through the tie plate, and a pair of arcuate extensions, one of which bears against the rail base and is provided in its lower face with a recess adapted to receive the upper edge of the adjacent centering rib, and the other of which bears against the upper face of the tie plate.

6. The combination with a tie and a rail, of a tie plate extending transversely on the upper face of the tie and having its terminals extending beyond the longitudinal edges of the tie, and a plurality of retaining bolts for holding the rail base on the tie plate, each of said retaining bolts including a shank portion insertible through the tie plate adjacent the terminal thereof, whereby the shank is disposed exteriorly of the tie, a nut threaded on the shank for holding the bolt against withdrawal from the tie plate, and an arcuate extension engaging over the adjacent centering rib, and bearing against the upper face of the rail base.

7. The combination With a tie and a rail, of a tie plate having its terminals projecting beyond the longitudinal edges of the tie, and a plurality of retaining bolts for holding the rail base on the tie plate, each of said retaining plates including a shank, a head, and an extension engaging against the upper face of the rail base, the shanks of the bolts being insertible through the terminal portions of the tie plate, whereby the lower threaded terminals of the shanks are positioned exteriorly of the tie body.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN H. MESSNER. Ii 8.

Witnesses:

W. M. MCMILLIN, J. M. STIVER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O. 

